


The Mannequin

by xAoneko



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Gen, Happy Halloween, Horror, Mannequin, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 06:42:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21249095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xAoneko/pseuds/xAoneko
Summary: Jongin's first year in pharmacy school doesn't go the way he thinks it will.





	The Mannequin

**Author's Note:**

> This is a horror story inspired by the works of Junji Ito (if you like horror, I definitely recommend checking out his works).  
Featuring the University of Houston College of Pharmacy because I was accepted just this past summer :D  
Happy Halloween, peeps!
> 
> Who's my beta? [Liv](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiviaWavern14/profile) is!

When Jongin got accepted to pharmacy school, he expected to spend the next four years sitting in a lecture hall and listening to a plethora of professors ramble on and on about biochemistry, physiology, and pharmaceutics. He expected to hunker down in a cramped study room with his friend Sehun and stress over fragmented notes that they managed to write in a half-asleep state. He expected to join a couple of student organizations and talk to his upperclassmen and professors.

Jongin did _not_ expect to be lost in a building as small as the University of Houston College of Pharmacy on the second day of class.

Jongin pouted as he wandered the halls, searching for his advisor’s office since he needed to talk to Mr. Park about his LASSI results. Room 3013 shouldn’t be this hard to find, yet Jongin was sure he had scoured the entirety of the third floor twice already and still couldn’t find the room. He must be missing some sort of sign.

It was around noon, so there were plenty of other pharmacy students milling around in the commons but talking to strangers was intimidating. Jongin knew absolutely no one besides Sehun, and he was _this_ close to calling his friend and making him come back to show him where the room was.

“Hey.”

Jongin jumped and spun around, quickly wiping the confusion off his face and replacing it with false confidence. He hoped no one noticed that this was his third time walking through the commons in fifteen minutes.

Another pharmacy student looked up at him with a smile. “I noticed that this is the third time you’ve been through here in the past few minutes. Do you need help? Are you looking for something?”

The back of Jongin’s neck grew hot. Ducking his head and doing his best to shrink into his white coat, Jongin mumbled, “Do you know where Room 3013 is?”

“Room 3013?” the other student parroted, “It should be through Student Services here…”

Jongin followed him, trying to smother the embarrassment boiling him alive from inside. Unfortunately, the mortification only grew when he saw the other student stop in front of a door that Jongin passed by several times.

“Just go through here and tell them that you’re looking for Room 3013,” the student – Baekhyun, his name tag read – instructed.

Jongin wanted to scream at the idea of talking to more strangers, but he kept his composure and bowed his head to Baekhyun, timidly saying, “Thank you.”

Baekhyun smiled kindly and replied, “Of course!”

Thankfully, Jongin had forgotten about his shame by the time his meeting with Mr. Park was finished. It helped that Baekhyun was nowhere to be seen when Jongin left the Student Services room, so Jongin was free from reliving his embarrassment as he pushed through the double doors that separated the College of Pharmacy from the rest of the building.

The doors had just swung shut behind him when Jongin realized that his left hand was strangely empty. With a silent gasp, Jongin spun around and stared through the closed glass doors in despair. His water bottle was still in the College of Pharmacy, and he had no way to go back in. The ID card he had gotten before the semester started hadn’t been coded with access to the pharmacy part of the Health 2 building. He had no choice but to wait for someone else to let him in, but from what he could see, the commons were empty. Most people had already gone home, and Jongin was forced to wait until tomorrow to look through the lost and found.

He brought it up with his mentor Kyungsoo when the P2 treated Jongin to lunch at the end of the week. The two of them sat hunched over plates of kimchi fried rice in Café 101, and Kyungsoo nodded occasionally as he listened to Jongin’s complain about his useless ID card.

“I wish the office would get my new ID ready faster,” Jongin sighed, shoveling another spoonful of rice into his mouth.

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo replied, “Some of my friends still haven’t gotten their new IDs yet either, so it’ll take a while. In the meantime, you’ll probably have to rely on other pharmacy students to let you in.” Kyungsoo paused to take a sip of his drink. “But then again, having this security is better than having a repeat of…you know.”

Jongin knew what Kyungsoo wanted to say. Two years ago, when Jongin had just started his undergraduate career at Texas A&M University, he had heard news of a complete shutdown at the University of Houston. Faculty members had found a student’s corpse in the College of Pharmacy. The police investigated, but they failed to figure out the cause of death. Rumors said that the student’s face was twisted in an agonized expression, mouth stretched wide in a scream. The student’s eyes were missing, but there had been no sign of trauma or blood near the eye sockets. The skin near the student’s mouth had split open like fissures from an earthquake, blood oozing from the cracks in rivulets. When pathologists cut open the corpse for an autopsy, they found empty cavities. The student’s organs were missing.

The public fell into a state of disbelief and fear. After all, it was impossible for a person’s organs to be plucked out of their body without cutting the body open first, but the only injuries the student had were the splits around his mouth.

Since the College of Pharmacy at the University of Houston had just moved to a new building, security had not been as tight as it was now. Whoever – or whatever – had killed the pharmacy student was never caught, and the case quickly went cold. The university’s reputation had suffered a blow, but the College of Pharmacy installed more security cameras and a keycard system to prevent nonpharmacy students from coming and going as they pleased. A plaque was made in memory of the victim, and Jongin had passed by it several times on his way to and from class.

“Kim Minseok, right?” he asked.

Kyungsoo nodded. “He was Baekhyun’s friend. Do you know Baekhyun?”

Jongin remembered the name. “I’ve met him. He helped me find my advisor’s room. He’s a P3, right?”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo confirmed, “He’s my mentor, and apparently, he was the primary suspect for Minseok’s death because he liked to cling to Minseok, so he was the last person people saw Minseok with.”

Jongin couldn’t begin to imagine how much it must have hurt Baekhyun to be accused of Minseok’s death. “That must have sucked,” he mumbled.

Kyungsoo hummed in quiet agreement. “Minseok’s death aside, the security system is also meant to keep out the optometry students.”

“The optometry students?” Jongin repeated, “Why?”

“Have you had a lecture with Dr. Zhang yet? The one where he brings in a mannequin and has a few groups of students act as an interdisciplinary team?” Kyungsoo asked. When Jongin nodded, he continued, “Well, one of our mannequins went missing about two years ago, and the optometry students have always been bitter about pharmacy students using the lounge on the second floor to study and stuff, so…”

“So people think the optometry students stole a mannequin to spite us?” Jongin finished.

“Exactly.” Kyungsoo swallowed a mouthful of rice. “The mannequins are expensive, but there’s no proof, so the faculty couldn’t really do anything about it. The optometry and pharmacy students have hated each other since.”

Jongin nodded. “What do you think about this though?”

Kyungsoo fixed him with an empty stare. “I think I want to hurry up and graduate so I don’t have to be surrounded by this bullshit anymore.”

It was just the first week of school, but Jongin couldn’t agree more. They finished their meal in silence, but before the two of them parted ways, Kyungsoo patted Jongin’s shoulder and said, “I’ll introduce you to Baekhyun sometime. I think you’ll like him.”

Jongin nodded, figuring that it would take a few weeks since P3s were supposed to be very busy. However, it took only three days for Kyungsoo to find Jongin eating lunch with Sehun and bring Baekhyun over to formally introduce them. Jongin froze up at first, stumbling over his words like how a baby bear would trip over its own paws, but just like during their first meeting, Baekhyun kept smiling and didn’t point out Jongin’s awkwardness.

To Jongin’s relief, Baekhyun was easy to befriend. The P3 talked like the world was going to end if he stopped running his mouth for three seconds, but Jongin liked it this way. It meant he didn’t have to speak as much, and he was perfectly happy with letting Sehun and Baekhyun dominate the conversation while he listened in next to them.

Then, Baekhyun mentioned that he was interested in veterinary pharmacy, and Jongin perked up upon hearing that. Sehun noticed and quickly said, “Jongin is interested in veterinary pharmacy, too.”

Baekhyun turned to him then, eyes glimmering with interest. “Really? Do you have any pets at home? Is that why you’re interested?”

Jongin nodded. “I have three dogs.”

Eyes widening, Baekhyun gasped, “Oh, my God! I have a dog, too!”

From there, it was easy for Jongin to crawl out of his shell. He and Baekhyun went on and on about their dogs, completely forgetting about Sehun and Kyungsoo. In fact, Jongin would have forgotten about attending class as well if Kyungsoo didn’t tug on his and Baekhyun’s ears.

“Here, let’s exchange numbers!” Baekhyun said as he pulled out his phone. “I’ll send you pictures of my dog. Send me some pictures of yours, too.”

“Okay,” Jongin agreed easily as he saved Baekhyun’s number.

Their exchanges soon grew to include not just dog photos but also memes, food pictures, and the occasional text asking about each other’s day. Even in a screen, Baekhyun talked a lot and often gave witty responses to cheer Jongin up after an especially difficult exam.

Baekhyun also made for a very supportive friend as well. “Let’s go out to eat!” he suggested after Jongin made an A on his patient counseling summative assessment. “My treat!”

They made plans to meet in the commons on Thursday evening so that Jongin could carpool with Baekhyun. When Thursday evening arrived, Jongin caught sight of Baekhyun hurrying towards him.

“Hey, Nini!” Baekhyun greeted, “I just gotta run up to the lab really quick. I forgot something there. After that, we can head to my car.”

“I’ll come with you,” Jongin offered.

“Are you excited for fried chicken?” Baekhyun asked, doing a little hop as he climbed the stairs.

Baekhyun’s excitement was infectious, and Jongin absolutely _loved_ chicken, so he responded with a loud “Yes!”

Baekhyun laughed as he pulled open the door to the lab, holding it open for Jongin. Jongin walked inside, mouth quirking up into a smile as he remembered making the rectal suppositories with Sehun and the dirty jokes they snickered over.

Jongin was looking around the room when he heard a sharp _crack_ behind him. He whirled around to stare at Baekhyun. The sound came from his friend, who had shut the lab door and was standing with his back to Jongin. One of Baekhyun’s hands gripped the door handle so tightly that his knuckles were white.

When Baekhyun showed no signs of moving, Jongin edged closer. “Hyung? Are you okay?”

The only response he got was another loud _crack_, followed by a cough from Baekhyun. Jongin jumped and froze for a moment, arms half-raised, before he edged forward to place a hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder. “Hyung, what’s going–?”

Baekhyun turned around, and Jongin recoiled at the sight of his friend’s face. Blood oozed out of Baekhyun’s mouth, and jagged, black cracks ran from the corner of his mouth to his cheeks. Baekhyun let out another pained gurgle, eyes glistening with unshed tears as he reached out and grabbed Jongin’s arm.

Jongin squeaked and forced himself to remain steady. “Baek-hyung, I think you need to sit…”

He never got to finish his sentence because Baekhyun suddenly opened his mouth wide and lunged forward, sinking his teeth into Jongin’s arm. Jongin gasped at the agony that seared through his flesh before kicking Baekhyun away with a scream. The P3 stumbled backward, managing to catch himself on the doorframe.

Jongin clutched his injured arm and stared at Baekhyun. “What are you doing?!” he yelled.

Baekhyun hacked out a mouthful of blood and righted himself so that he stood with his head bowed and arms at his sides. He remained motionless like a statue for a few tense seconds, letting out a few quiet whimpers, and then a third and final _crack_ split the air. Baekhyun’s body jerked violently, and he fell silent.

Jongin didn’t dare make a sound, but as Baekhyun raised his head, Jongin’s breath froze in his chest.

The cracks in Baekhyun’s skin had widened, and blood flowed from them steadily, painting Baekhyun’s jaw in ruby red. Under splotches of blood, Baekhyun’s teeth gleamed white, but they no longer looked like the teeth that sank into Jongin’s arm a mere minute ago. The tips had turned sharp like a tiger’s teeth, designed to pierce and tear. Baekhyun’s eyes matched the white of his teeth, fixing Jongin with a lifeless stare that sent shivers up Jongin’s spine.

Baekhyun took a step towards him. Jongin tensed.

A millisecond later, Baekhyun was running at him with bared teeth. Out of instinct, Jongin seized the nearest stool, holding it in front of him like a shield. The legs of the stool dug into Baekhyun’s body, and Jongin shoved with all his might, sending Baekhyun sprawling on the floor. When Baekhyun didn’t move to get up, Jongin allowed himself to relax a bit, but any sense of ease vanished when he caught sight of movement in Baekhyun’s mouth.

He wasn’t sure what it was at first, but as the thing protruded further, Jongin realized that it was a hand. Horribly misshapen, the fingers stretched until they grasped the lapel of Baekhyun’s ruined white coat. Another hand reached out, planting itself on Baekhyun’s torn face. The mannequin’s head appeared next, eyes stretched impossibly wide and mouth curved into a slight grin as the mannequin crawled out of Baekhyun’s mouth and towards Jongin.

Jongin backpedaled as fast as he could until he felt his back meet the counter at the front of the room. The mannequin followed him like a cat, stopping when Jongin stopped. It tilted its head to the side, and its lips parted in a smile, showing off the sharp teeth that Baekhyun had displayed moments ago.

Then, it lunged, latching onto the stool in Jongin’s hands. Before Jongin could react, the mannequin grabbed his wrist in an iron grip as it leaned forward, licking Baekhyun’s blood off its lips.

A shrill cry pierced through the air, and Jongin’s eyes flew open. The familiar sight of his bedroom door stared back at him, slowly chasing away the lingering adrenaline and fear. Once his breathing evened out, Jongin groaned and dropped his head back onto his pillow. A stinging pain shot through his face as his right cheek hit the fabric, and Jongin nursed the area with a pout.

His alarm was still blaring, so Jongin shut it off, fully intent on going back to sleep. However, the painful tingling on his right cheek wouldn’t go away, so Jongin reluctantly dragged himself out of bed to stand before the bathroom mirror.

The marks from yesterday evening were almost gone. The only ones left were a few raw, puckered scars that ran from the corner of his mouth to his cheek where his skin had cracked like dry earth. He prodded at the half-healed wound lightly, hissing when it throbbed painfully. It would be best if he didn’t aggravate it for the time being.

Plodding back to bed, Jongin picked up his phone and opened his email. An email from the University of Houston sat at the top of the list, and Jongin tapped on it, scanning over the announcement that the campus was closed and that all students needed to stay put. The email didn’t say, but Jongin was also certain that the campus would be prowling with police.

He was also certain that he would be getting a visit from a police officer soon, but he was unconcerned. They had no solid evidence to convict him of Baekhyun’s death.

With a sigh, Jongin leaned back against the wall. There was nothing for him to worry about. Whether or not the University of Houston ended up permanently closed would not affect him in the long run. After all, there were plenty of people around outside of campus.

In a city as populated as Houston, there would never be a shortage of prey.

**Author's Note:**

> [my curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/xAoneko) || [my twitter](https://twitter.com/xAoneko98)


End file.
